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Title: The PAndAS field of streams: Stellar structures in the milky way halo toward Andromeda and Triangulum

Abstract

We reveal the highly structured nature of the Milky Way (MW) stellar halo within the footprint of the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS) photometric survey from blue main sequence (MS) and MS turn-off stars. We map no fewer than five stellar structures within a heliocentric range of ∼5-30 kpc. Some of these are known (the Monoceros Ring, the Pisces/Triangulum globular cluster stream), but we also uncover three well-defined stellar structures that could be, at least partly, responsible for the so-called Triangulum/Andromeda and Triangulum/Andromeda 2 features. In particular, we trace a new faint stellar stream located at a heliocentric distance of ∼17 kpc. With a surface brightness of Σ {sub V} ∼ 32-32.5 mag arcsec{sup –2}, it follows an orbit that is almost parallel to the Galactic plane north of M31 and has so far eluded surveys of the MW halo as these tend to steer away from regions dominated by the Galactic disk. Investigating our follow-up spectroscopic observations of PAndAS, we serendipitously uncover a radial velocity signature from stars that have colors and magnitudes compatible with the stream. From the velocity of eight likely member stars, we show that this stellar structure is dynamically cold, with an unresolved velocity dispersion thatmore » is lower than 7.1 km s{sup –1} at the 90% confidence level. Along with the width of the stream (300-650 pc), its dynamics point to a dwarf-galaxy-accretion origin. The numerous stellar structures we can map in the MW stellar halo between 5 and 30 kpc and their varying morphology is a testament to the complex nature of the stellar halo at these intermediate distances.« less

Authors:
;  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]; ; ;  [6];  [7]; ;  [8];  [9]; ; ;  [10];  [11];  [12];  [13]
  1. Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR 7550, 11 rue de l'Université, F-67000 Strasbourg (France)
  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, PAB, 430 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States)
  3. Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)
  4. Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States)
  5. Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom)
  6. Institute of Astronomy, School of Physics A28, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia)
  7. NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC, V9E 2E7 (Canada)
  8. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2 (Canada)
  9. Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, 6310 Coburg Road, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2 (Canada)
  10. Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom)
  11. RSAA, The Australian National University, Mount Stromlo Observatory, Cotter Road, Weston Creek ACT 2611 (Australia)
  12. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom)
  13. Observatoire de Paris, LERMA, 61 Avenue de l'Observatoire, F-75014 Paris (France)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22356870
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 787; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; BRIGHTNESS; COLOR; DISPERSIONS; DWARF STARS; GALAXIES; MILKY WAY; ORBITS; RADIAL VELOCITY; STAR ACCRETION; STARS; SURFACES

Citation Formats

Martin, Nicolas F., Ibata, Rodrigo A., Rich, R. Michael, Collins, Michelle L. M., Fardal, Mark A., Irwin, Michael J., Lewis, Geraint F., Bate, Nicholas F., Conn, Anthony R., McConnachie, Alan W., Babul, Arif, Navarro, Julio F., Chapman, Scott C., Crnojević, Denija, Ferguson, Annette M. N., Peñarrubia, Jorge, Mackey, A. Dougal, Tanvir, Nial T., and Valls-Gabaud, David. The PAndAS field of streams: Stellar structures in the milky way halo toward Andromeda and Triangulum. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/787/1/19.
Martin, Nicolas F., Ibata, Rodrigo A., Rich, R. Michael, Collins, Michelle L. M., Fardal, Mark A., Irwin, Michael J., Lewis, Geraint F., Bate, Nicholas F., Conn, Anthony R., McConnachie, Alan W., Babul, Arif, Navarro, Julio F., Chapman, Scott C., Crnojević, Denija, Ferguson, Annette M. N., Peñarrubia, Jorge, Mackey, A. Dougal, Tanvir, Nial T., & Valls-Gabaud, David. The PAndAS field of streams: Stellar structures in the milky way halo toward Andromeda and Triangulum. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/787/1/19
Martin, Nicolas F., Ibata, Rodrigo A., Rich, R. Michael, Collins, Michelle L. M., Fardal, Mark A., Irwin, Michael J., Lewis, Geraint F., Bate, Nicholas F., Conn, Anthony R., McConnachie, Alan W., Babul, Arif, Navarro, Julio F., Chapman, Scott C., Crnojević, Denija, Ferguson, Annette M. N., Peñarrubia, Jorge, Mackey, A. Dougal, Tanvir, Nial T., and Valls-Gabaud, David. 2014. "The PAndAS field of streams: Stellar structures in the milky way halo toward Andromeda and Triangulum". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/787/1/19.
@article{osti_22356870,
title = {The PAndAS field of streams: Stellar structures in the milky way halo toward Andromeda and Triangulum},
author = {Martin, Nicolas F. and Ibata, Rodrigo A. and Rich, R. Michael and Collins, Michelle L. M. and Fardal, Mark A. and Irwin, Michael J. and Lewis, Geraint F. and Bate, Nicholas F. and Conn, Anthony R. and McConnachie, Alan W. and Babul, Arif and Navarro, Julio F. and Chapman, Scott C. and Crnojević, Denija and Ferguson, Annette M. N. and Peñarrubia, Jorge and Mackey, A. Dougal and Tanvir, Nial T. and Valls-Gabaud, David},
abstractNote = {We reveal the highly structured nature of the Milky Way (MW) stellar halo within the footprint of the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS) photometric survey from blue main sequence (MS) and MS turn-off stars. We map no fewer than five stellar structures within a heliocentric range of ∼5-30 kpc. Some of these are known (the Monoceros Ring, the Pisces/Triangulum globular cluster stream), but we also uncover three well-defined stellar structures that could be, at least partly, responsible for the so-called Triangulum/Andromeda and Triangulum/Andromeda 2 features. In particular, we trace a new faint stellar stream located at a heliocentric distance of ∼17 kpc. With a surface brightness of Σ {sub V} ∼ 32-32.5 mag arcsec{sup –2}, it follows an orbit that is almost parallel to the Galactic plane north of M31 and has so far eluded surveys of the MW halo as these tend to steer away from regions dominated by the Galactic disk. Investigating our follow-up spectroscopic observations of PAndAS, we serendipitously uncover a radial velocity signature from stars that have colors and magnitudes compatible with the stream. From the velocity of eight likely member stars, we show that this stellar structure is dynamically cold, with an unresolved velocity dispersion that is lower than 7.1 km s{sup –1} at the 90% confidence level. Along with the width of the stream (300-650 pc), its dynamics point to a dwarf-galaxy-accretion origin. The numerous stellar structures we can map in the MW stellar halo between 5 and 30 kpc and their varying morphology is a testament to the complex nature of the stellar halo at these intermediate distances.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/787/1/19},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22356870}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 1,
volume = 787,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue May 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Tue May 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}